Figures have been released by Minister for Transport Shane Ross that show almost 43,000 people are waiting at least 7 months to take their driving test.
The staggeringly high figure indicates that many drivers are driving and will be driving on provisional licences for the indefinite future.
This in itself contradicts proposed plans to see learner drivers being streamlined to get their full licence.
It also means that other proposed plans to make full licence holders accompany learner drivers will see even more people inconvenienced for longer as a result of the severe backlog.